phenomenology of mind-第38节

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merely　one　single　unity。

This　bare　and　simple　infinity；　or　the　absolute　notion；　may　be　called　the　ultimate　nature　of　life；　the
soul　of　the　world；　the　universal　life…blood；　which　courses　everywhere；　and　whose　flow　is　neither
disturbed　nor　checked　by　any　obstructing　distinction；　but　is　itself　every　distinction　that　arises；　as
well　as　that　into　which　all　distinctions　are　dissolved；　pulsating　within　itself；　but　ever　motionless；
shaken　to　its　depths；　but　still　at　rest。　It　is　self…identical；　for　the　distinctions　are　tautological；　they　are
distinctions　that　are　none。　This　self…identical　reality　stands；　therefore；　in　relation　solely　to　itself。　To
itself；　which　means　this　is　an　other；　to　which　the　relation　points；　and　relation　to　itself　is；　more
strictly；　breaking　asunder；　in　other　words；　that　very　self…identity　is　internal　distinction。　These
sundered　factors　have；　hence；　each　a　separate　being　of　their　own；　each　is　an　opposite…of　an　other；
and　thus　with　each　the　other　is　therein　ipso　facto　expressly　given；　or　it　is　not　the　opposite　of　an
other；　but　only　the　pure　opposite；　and　thus　each　is；　therefore；　in　itself　the　opposite　of　itself。　Or；
again；　each　is　not　an　opposite　at　all；　but　exists　purely　for　itself；　a　pure　self…identical　reality；　with　no
distinction　in　it。　This　being　so；　we　do　not　need　to　ask；　still　less　to　treat　anxiety　over　such　a　question
as　philosophy；　—　or　even　regard　this　as　a　question　philosophy　cannot　answer；　—　〃how　distinction
or　otherness　is　to　come　out　of　this　pure　essence；　how　these　are　to　be　really　got　out　of　it〃。　For　the
process　of　disruption　has　already　taken　place；　distinction　has　been　excluded　from　the　self…identical
entity；　and　put　on　one　side　so　far　as　it　is　concerned；　what　was　to　have　been　the　self…identical　is
thus　already　one　of　the　sundered　elements；　instead　of　being　the　absolute　essential　reality。　That　the
self…identical　breaks　asunder　means；　therefore；　just　as　truly　that　it　supersedes　itself　as　already
sundered；　that　it　cancels　itself　qua　otherness。　The　unity　which　people　usually　have　in　mind　when
they　say　distinction　cannot　come　out　of　unity；　is；　in　point　of　fact；　itself　merely　one　moment　of　the
process　of　disruption；　it　is　the　abstraction　of　simplicity；　which　stands　in　contrast　with　distinction。
But　in　that　it　is　abstraction；　is　merely　one　of　the　two　opposed　elements；　the　statement　thus　already
implies　that　the　unity　is　the　process　of　breaking　asunder；　for　if　the　unity　is　a　negative　element；　an
opposite；　then　it　is　put　forward　precisely　as　that　which　contains　opposition　within　it。　The　different
aspects　of　diremption　and　of　becoming　self…identical　are　therefore　likewise　merely　this　process　of
self…cancelling。　For　since　the　self…identical　element；　which　should　first　divide　itself　asunder　or　pass
into　its　opposite；　is　an　abstraction；　i。e。　is　already　itself　a　sundered　element；　its　diremption　is　eo
ipso　a　cancelling　of　what　it　is；　and　thus　the　cancelling　of　its　being　sundered。　The　process　of
becoming　self…identical　is　likewise　a　process　of　diremption；　what　becomes　identical　with　itself
thereby　opposes　itself　to　disruption；　that　is；　itself　thereby　puts　itself　on　one　side；　in　other　words；　it
becomes　really　something　sundered。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　3。　Infinitude

Infinitude；　this　absolute　unrest　of　pure　self…movement；　such　that　whatever　is　determined　in　any
way；　e。g。；　as　being；　is　really　the　opposite　of　this　determinateness　—　has　from　the　start　been　no
doubt　the　very　soul　of　all　that　has　gone　before；　but　it　is　in　the　inner　world　that　it　has　first　come　out
explicitly　and　definitely。　The　world　of　appearance；　or　the　play　of　forces；　already　shows　its
operation；　but　it　is　in　the　first　instance　as　Explanation　that　it　comes　openly　forward。　And　since　it　is
at　length　an　object　for　consciousness；　and　consciousness　is　aware　of　it　as　what　it　is；　consciousness
is　in　this　way　Self…consciousness。　Understanding's　function　of　explaining　furnishes　in　the　first
instance　merely　the　description　of　what　self…consciousness　is。　Understanding　cancels　the
distinctions　present　in　Law；　distinctions　which　have　already　become　pure　distinctions　but　are　still
indifferent；　and　puts　them　inside　a　single　unity；　Force。　This　identification；　however；　is　at　the　same
time　and　immediately　a　process　of　diremption；　for　understanding　removes　the　distinctions　and　sets
up　the　oneness　of　force　only　by　the　fact　that　it　creates　a　new　distinction　of　force　and　law；　which　at
the　same　time；　however；　is　no　distinction。　And　moreover　in　that　this　distinction　is　at　the　same　time
no　distinction；　it　proceeds　further　and　cancels　this　distinction　again；　since　it　lets　force　have　just　the
same　constitution　as　law。　This　process　or　necessity　is；　however；　in　this　form；　still　a　necessity　and　a
process　of　understanding；　or　the　process　as　such　is　not　the　object　of　understanding；　instead；
understanding　has　as　its　objects　in　that　process　positive　and　negative　electricity；　distance；　velocity；
force　of　attraction；　and　a　thousand　other　things　—　objects　which　make　up　the　content　of　the
moments　of　the　process。　It　is　just　for　that　reason　that　there　is　so　much　satisfaction　in　explanation；
because　consciousness　being　there；　if　we　may　use　such　an　expression；　in　direct　communion　with
itself；　enjoys　itself　only。　No　doubt　it　there　seems　to　be　occupied　with　something　else；　but　in　point
of　fact　it　is　busied　all　the　while　merely　with　itself。

In　the　opposite　law；　as　the　inversion　of　the　first　law；　or　in　internal　distinction；　infinitude　doubtless
becomes　itself　object　of　understanding。　But　once　more　understanding　fails　to　do　justice　to　infinity
as　such；　since　understanding　assigns　again　to　two　worlds；　or　to　two　substantial　elements；　that
which　is　distinction　per　se　—　the　self…repulsion　of　the　selfsame；　and　the　self…attraction　of　unlike
factors。　To　understanding　the　process；　as　it　is　found　in　experience；　is　here　an　event　that　happens；
and　the　selfsame　and　the　unlike　are　predicates；　whose　reality　is　an　underlying　substratum。　What　is
for　understanding　an　object　in　a　covering　veil　of　sense；　now　comes　before　us　in　its　essential　form
as　a　pure　notion。　This　apprehension　of　distinction　as　it　truly　is；　the　apprehension　of　infinitude　as
such；　is　something　for　us　＇observing　the　course　of　the　process＇；　or　is　implicit；　immanent。　The
exposition　of　its　notion　belongs　to　science。　Consciousness；　however；　in　the　way　it　immediately　has
this　notion；　again　appears　as　a　peculiar　form　or　new　attitude　of　consciousness；　which　does　not
recognize　its　own　essential　nature　in　what　has　gone　before；　but　looks　upon　it　as　something　quite
different。

In　that　this　notion　of　infinitude　is　its　object；　it　is　thus　a　consciousness　of　the　distinction　as　one　which
at　the　same　time　is　at　once　cancelled。　Consciousness　is　for　itself　and　on　its　own　account；　it　is　a
distinguishing　of　what　is　undistinguished；　it　is　Self…consciousness。　I　distinguish　myself　from　myself；
and　therein　I　am　immediately　aware　that　this　factor　distinguished　from　me　is　not　distinguished。　I；
the　selfsame　being；　thrust　myself　away　from　myself；　but　this　which　is　distinguished；　which　is　set　up
as　unlike　me；　is　immediately　on　its　being　distinguished　no　distinction　for　me。　Consciousness　of　an
other；　of　an　object　in　general；　is　indeed　itself　necessarily　self…consciousness；　reflectedness　into　self；
consciousness　of　self　in　its　otherness。　The　necessary　advance　from　the　previous　attitudes　of
consciousness；　which　found　their　true　content　to　be　a　thing；　something　other　than　themselves；
brings　to　light　this　very　fact　that　not　merely　is　consciousness　of　a　thing　only　possible　for　a
self…consciousness；　but　that　this　self…consciousness　alone　is　the　truth　of　those　attitudes。　But　it　is
only　for　us　（who　trace　this　process＇　that　this　truth　is　actually　present；　it　is　not　yet　so　for　the
consciousness　immersed　in　the　experience。　Self…consciousness　has　in　the　first　instance　become　a
specific　reality　on　its　own　account　（für　sich）；　has　come　into　being　for　itself；　it　is　not　yet　in　the　form
of　unity　with　consciousness　in　general。

We　see　that　in　the　inner　being　of　the　sphere　of　appearance；　understanding　gets　to　know　in　truth
nothing　else　but　appearance　itself；　not；　however；　appearance　in　the　shape　of　a　play　of　forces；　but
that　play　of　forces　in　its　absolutely　universal　moments　and　in　the　process　of　those　moments；　in　fact；
understanding　merely　experiences　itself。　Raised　above　perception；　consciousness　reveals　itself
united　and　bound　up　with　the　supersensible　world　through　the　mediating　agency　of　the　realm　of
appearance；　through　which　it　gazes　into　this　background　that　lies　behind　appearance。　The　two
extremes；　the　one　that　of　the　pure　inner　region；　the　other　that　of　the　inner　being　gazing　into　this
pure　inner　region；　are　now　merged　together；　and　as　they　have　disappeared　qua　extremes；　the
middle　term；　the　mediating　agency；　qua　something　other　than　these　extremes；　has　also　vanished。
This　curtain　＇of　appearance＇；　therefore；　hanging　before　the　inner　world　is　withdrawn；　and　we　have
here　the　inner　being　＇the　ego＇　gazing　into　the　inner　realm　—　the　vision　of　the　undistinguished
selfsame　reality；　which　repels　itself　from　itself；　affirms　itself　as　a　divided　and　distinguished　inner
reality；　but　as　one　f